They asked, "Do you love her to death?" I said, "Speak her name over my grave and watch how she brings me back to life." -Mahmoud Darwish

I wake up to an ache in my thighs. My werewolf healing will take care of it, but I relish in the feeling. The cool sheets press against my body as I stretch. My senses had already told me that Zane was not in the room with me and I didn't expect him to be. Nightshades were a serious threat that had to be dealt with quickly.

I take in my mate's room clearly for the first time. The walls are gray and all of his furniture is black which some gold accents. If I breathe in I can smell him all around the room. With time, the smell of pine will intermingle with vanilla and the room will smell like us.

.

I consider ignoring my wolf because of how tired I am, but that never leads to good things. I grab one of Zane's shirts and some running shorts. My mom had dropped off some clothes of mine and I was thankful for the athletic gear.

The giant, broken window is what greets me as I step down the stairs.

Yikes.

Ignoring the monstrosity, I step out and find a tree to hang my clothes on. Then I shift, and my wolf takes off. I give her most of the control since I'm too tired to deal with anything right now.

She takes off, jumping over logs and chasing any little furry creature she sees. A rustling to the side of us makes my wolf's ears perk up. She brings her body down to the ground, ready to pounce if an attack is needed. Then she does the strangest thing.

She whines in a pleading way. A large, black wolf comes out from the shadows and gives her a lick on her snout. My wolf rises and puts her face into Rafael's furry neck. They stay like that for a while and a twinge of guilt hits me as I watch them. All this time Zane and I spent avoiding the bond kept two wolves apart. It's simpler for wolves. Their mate is their mate, no ifs and buts. They do not deserve the complexities that come with being a human.

My wolf crouches down low and jumps. Her body crashes into Rafael's bringing them both to the ground. Dirt splatters as Rafael takes the brunt of the fall. Alpha wolves tend to be more dominant and less playful but Rafael seems to enjoy Leya's playful nature. Both of them run around each other playing a game of chase.

Their little game continues for a while but then Zane shifts back into his human form. While Rafael seemed content to see us, Zane looks furious.

Well, he can't talk to me if I stay like this.

"Shift Alessandra," his voice is cold as it flows into my ears.

His commands might work on everyone else, but they won't work on me. My disobedience only enrages him further. I can practically feel his anger drowning me so I shift back.

"Are you out of your mind? There was just a Nightshade attack and you're out here frolicking in the woods?"

Zane never raises his voice, even now. He doesn't need to. His words and his tone are enough to make someone fear for their life. I often hear the rumors that surround him but I rarely ever get to see the alpha everyone fears. This is one of those rare moments.

"Are you kidding me? I'm the one who killed that Nightshade last night!"

He grips my arms and pulls me into him.

"Our senses do not pick up on their scent Alessandra if your wolf is busy playing she can't keep an eye out for attacks," he says. His voice is low and his face is too close to me. He's trying to intimidate me.

My wolf lets out a sad sound inside me as she's criticized by her mate.

"I know how to take care of myself," my words come out with no emotion.

He must see how his words sounded because his eyes soften.

"I know you can. Hell, everyone knows you can. But I need you to stay away from danger. I can't protect this pack if I'm busy worrying about you."

"I get that Zane. But I'm not going to be the type of luna who stays behind in order to protect herself while her pack is out fighting."

I mean it. I will never sit back if one of my own needs help.

"They are your pack. They will die for you if necessary because that's their job," Zane says.

"And I'm their luna. So if they are fighting I will fight alongside them."

He looks like he wants to argue but decides against it.

"Come with me. Let's get you home."

He carries me bridal style before I have a chance to protest. The world whips around us as he takes us home, using his werewolf speed to cut the time in half. Once we've reached our destination, he places me on my feet.

"I know how to walk," I say jokingly.

"I bet it's much more fun when I carry you," he replies with a smirk. I don't tell him that it is because that would only inflate his ego which is already too large.

Zane places a kiss on my lips and leads me inside. He goes into our room and comes back out fully dressed. I try to hide my pout because I was one hundred percent sure we were going to have sex once we got home. My heat has subsided but now that I've experienced the wonders of sex I cannot fathom how people are not doing this every minute of every day.

"Don't give me that look Alessia," he says in warning.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go over the specifics for the pack meeting."

"Shouldn't I be there for that?"

"Yes, I'll bring you along for the next meeting. This one is just to get things set up."

I nod. He places a kiss on my head before leaving.

It turns out my wolf turns into a fucking child when her soulmate is not around. I was dying of boredom and ended up texting Lilia and Callie to come over.

"Wow this place is amazing," Lilia says. Callie nods in response, not saying anything like usual.

"You should have seen it this morning. The window was completely shattered." I regret my words the second they leave my mouth. I know they are my friends but I am also Luna now. It's my responsibility to make sure my pack feels safe.

"I can't believe a Nightshade was on our land," Callie says. Her eyes are glazed over like she's thinking about something else. I can smell the fear in the air and it's been present since Zane sent out a warning this morning. All pack members are to never be alone and the curfew is at 9:00 PM.

"Forget about the Nightshade! Alessia just moved in with her mate," Lilia shouted excitedly. My friend was a bit of a romantic and I was already looking forward to the day that she meets her mate.

"What's it like?" Lilia asks. Her eyes shine with longing.

"It's like this constant state of feeling complete. We argue, we fight, but there's no one else I would ever choose to give my heart to."

Lilia hangs onto every word I say like I am some sort of prophet. Even Callie looks shocked and I feel the same. I didn't even know I felt this way.

"Uh how about we eat something?" I turn around and head to the fridge. Hopefully, they forget I ever said those words.

Zane's fridge is unnecessary. There's no need to have a fridge with a touch screen that can play every song in the universe. All it needs to do is keep my food cold. I open the doors that are surprisingly lightweight. It opens easily and I'm greeted with, well everything.

"Woah," Lilia whispers behind me. It's like a grocery store has spawned in the kitchen. Everything imaginable is packed into the fridge. My first thought is that Zane must eat more than the average wolf. But then something in the corner of the fridge catches my eye.

A bottle of syrup the color of a ruby sits next to a bottle of sparkling soda. Grenadine and sprite, the ingredients for a Shirley Temple. A smile spreads across my face as I realize what this is. All of this food was for me. I can't even recall the last time I saw Zane eat something unhealthy.

I grab some snacks and head over to the couch. Lilia and Callie pick out a movie but I can hardly focus on it. My mind keeps going back to the kind act Zane did for me.

It might seem simple to other people but Zane De Luca doing something that didn't benefit himself was like a fish surviving on land. It just was not possible. Even when it came to his alpha duties he was always thinking of a way to expand the pack, to make more money, and how he would reap the benefits. Typically these would be seen as bad qualities but his tactics have led the pack to success.

Maybe my mate likes me more than I thought.